54 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
it, independent of the berries necessary to his own subsistence. The inhabitants 
pretend that the coffee of this island is inferior only to that of Moka. 
Among the European trees, the pine, the fir, and the oak, grow to a moderate 
height, when they decline. There are also cherry, apricot, apple, and mulberry trees; 
with the pear, the medlar, and the olive. The fig tree cannot boast of its fruit; nor 
does the vine succeed in this climate: it produces grapes, but they do not ripen at 
the same time, and yield nothing for the vintage. In Europe, the fruit of the same 
tree attain their ripeness, in a great degree, at the same time; here they ripen succes¬ 
sively; which occasions an uncommon variety in the taste of the fruit, gathered at the 
same moment from the same tree: it would probably be otherwise if it were left to 
its natural growth. The vine grows, in hot countries, in the midst of woods, where 
it twines itself round the. trees which serve to shade it: this circumstance proves, that 
if it were introduced into more shady places, it might succeed in this island. The 
peach tree produces fruit, in a moderate abundance, and of an agreeable taste; but 
the stone does not separate. 
The trees in this island are in a perpetual state of vegetation; and it might be a 
beneficial practice if they were planted deeper in the earth, in order to check their 
growth: they should be preserved from the heat here, as they are protected from 
the cold in the northern parts of Germany. The European trees shed their leaves 
in the cold season, which possesses here the warmth, and is accompanied with as 
much humidity as the spring in the moderate parts of Europe. 
The foreign ornamental trees are, the Laurel, which flourishes here, as well as 
the Agathis, of which there are several kinds. Its leaf is indented, and intermixed 
with bunches of white airy flowers, which are succeeded by long, leguminous pods. 
The Chinese frequently represent them in their landscapes. 
The Polcbe is a native of India; it has a tufted foliage, whose leaf is in the shape 
of an heart: it is useful only for the shade it affords. It produces an unprofitable 
fruit of a ligneous substance, and in the form of a medlar. 
The Bambou, appears at a distance like our willows. It is a reed that shoots 
up to the height of the loftiest trees, and puts forth branches covered with leaves, 
like those of the olive tree: they are formed into avenues; and as the wind passes 
through them it produces a ceaseless murmur. Their uses are various and well 
known. 
